What Happens to Your Body When You Run a Marathon
If you are wondering what happens to your body when running a marathon. – read on!
Every year, a significant number of runners participate in a marathon to enjoy this wonderful experience. Running your first marathon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, whether you do it for fitness or as a challenge. We all know that running a marathon is good for our physical and emotional health.
Now, we’ll discuss some of the specific things that happen during the marathon. In this article, we will outline some of the issues that every runner experiences, as well as how to stay healthy and happy.
The body loses a lot of water
Here’s a fascinating fact. Our bodies heat up to twenty times more when we run than when we rest. Our bodies must release heat to maintain a constant body temperature, which results in sweating and water loss. You should prepare your body to avoid dehydration if you intend to run a marathon.
The result of dehydration can lead to high blood pressure and poorer athletic performance. Drinking water before and after exercising is a fantastic way to solve this problem. On the other hand, you should not overdo it with hydration; the average person needs less than one gallon (2 or 2.5 liters).
Before the marathon, it is good to eat watermelon since it hydrates the body well. Avoid caffeine since it has a diuretic effect, making you thirsty.
It goes through a lot of stress
It is common knowledge that running is actually good for mental health and is a good way to fight stress. As for marathons, this is an entirely different story. Running a marathon puts the body under stress due to several hours of physical activity.
Muscle tearing, weariness, and dehydration are some of the changes that occur in the body due to physical stress. Stress from excessive physical activity can cause the loss of certain minerals, so it is important to be well prepared before a marathon.
Good preparation means good sleep (seven hours is ideal) and training that increases fitness. It’s a good idea to complete a series of warm-ups before the marathon so that the body is well prepared.
Certain people get a running nose while running
This is an issue that many runners experience, and it can sometimes drastically reduce their physical abilities. Many people believe that they have some sort of health problem (which is not excluded) and that this is the cause of their running nose.
It’s very likely that you’re allergic to something if you’re running outside in the springtime. Fast running raises the heart rate, which causes rapid breathing. This way, the sinuses become active and expel mucus. There’s another explanation for a runny nose, and it has to do with car exhaust. You can use over-the-counter nasal drops if a runny nose is bothering you too much.
Still not sure if what happens to your body when running a marathon, is good for you?
It will lose weight
As one of the coolest exercises, running is an extremely effective activity for weight loss. If someone is looking for a way to lose weight, this is a great way to achieve this goal. Running exposes the body to stress, which might lead to weight loss, which isn’t always a good thing if you don’t want to lose weight.
Running a marathon will certainly result in weight loss — you just need to figure out if this is a healthy thing for you.
We advise having a good meal, including proteins and carbohydrates, to regain weight and strength after the marathon.
You get shorter
Surprising, isn’t it? This is also important to know because running a marathon might temporarily make a person appear to be shorter than they are. The discs in the spine are to blame for this. Water is present in our bodies, and it is also located between the discs in the spine.
We put pressure on the spine when we run a marathon, and water escapes from that part of the body. The result is a reduction in height. It’s a good idea to do spine stretching after the marathon to get your spine and discs back to where they belong.
It’s possible to feel nausea
Nausea while running is a typical occurrence that disturbs many people and can cause marathon runners to stop running. Let’s have a look at some of the reasons for this. Marathons are usually held when the weather is nice, so people mostly organize them in the spring or summer. There’s a catch, though.
Runners may suffer as a result of the extreme heat and physical activity that warms the body up.
It is also not recommended to eat before running, but to eat 2 hours before the marathon. It is important to maintain a stable pace and not speed it up when you start to feel nauseous.
Blood sugar drops
This is one important thing which happens to your body when running a marathon.
Running can lower blood sugar, which is excellent news for diabetics, but it also comes with some downsides. Sugar deficiency can produce nausea and tremors in the body. There is a clear cause for this: the lack of carbohydrate intake before a marathon. As I previously stated, it is critical to eat two hours before the marathon so you can avoid blood sugar deficiency.
Otherwise, the body will eat proteins, and the amino acids will convert to sugar and pump into the bloodstream. Because this sort of glycogen is full of unneeded stuff, the body will break down muscle mass more. This can result in tiredness, prolonged rest, and injury.
The knees suffer
The knees are one of the most vulnerable parts of the body in runners, and they are also the most complex joint in humans. Those who have recently discovered how nice and enjoyable running a marathon can be, go for long runs, which can cause knee pain.
A combination of hard surfaces (concrete) and inappropriate footwear is the most common cause of knee pain. Your legs can adapt to walking on a hard surface, it is not an issue, but it takes time since your ligaments need to strengthen. I recommend that you choose quality sneakers with a thicker and softer sole to better cushion the impact of your feet on the ground.
Muscle wear and tear
We also see how stress exposure during a marathon can injure muscles. Muscle tearing can occur for a variety of causes. The two most prevalent are lactic acid buildup and microfractures of individual muscle fibers. After a marathon, all of this creates a lot of discomfort for the runner, so they need to use over-the-counter pain relievers.
Resting is the best way to combat muscle wear and tear. There are a lot of good gels that keep you cool and help you recover faster. Better blood supply to the damaged tissue contributes to recovery. The body recovers best by bringing oxygen and blood full of nutrients to the part you are healing.
Blisters
Blisters are particularly common in those who run marathons or participate in sports in general. Uncomfortable running shoes or even unfavorable weather can be the cause of this. When we run with soaked feet, blisters are more likely to form. You can always prepare before the marathon to avoid this unpleasant experience.
I suggest that you use baby powder to keep your feet dry. Because new sneakers are not broken in, it is not a good idea to wear them before the marathon.
Euphoria and satisfaction
Swimming and jogging are the healthiest physical exercises that activate the largest number of muscles.
The brain secretes more endorphins while we run. Endorphins are extremely addictive natural opiates that are chemically comparable to morphine.
It alleviates pain and tension while increasing feelings of relaxation and fulfillment.
Endorphins aren’t the only ones to blame for the happiness we experience during running and shortly afterward. Endocannabinoids, which trigger the same receptors in the brain as THC, a compound that can be found in cannabis, also put us in a good mood.
Running, in addition to the immediate euphoria, is certain to change our brain chemistry a bit. Running improves one’s self-esteem. Every training session is a personal accomplishment, every mile run is a test of endurance, and every crossing of the finish line is a new triumph!
Conclusion
So now that you read more of what happens to your body when running a marathon, I hope you’ve gained a better understanding of some of the fun and less fun parts of marathon running. We inspire many people to live a healthy life by promoting awareness about marathons. We spread the message that health is the most important thing.
As a result, I hope that this article has taught you how to run a marathon but still remain healthy and avoid any permanent injuries as well. You don’t have to break records in every race. You don’t have to go faster and farther than the previous time.
If you need a goal, set one and prove to yourself that you can achieve it. You’ll notice a significant improvement in your mood. Remember, nothing is impossible! Now that you know more about what happens to your body during the marathon, you will know how to look after yourself. Happy running!
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